Chase Weekend

Before the cold weather arrives and Chicago has to convert all of its stadiums into giant mugs of hot chocolate, NASCAR’s Chase Weekend will wave the checkered flag on summer with a triple-header of races at Chicagoland Speedway. On September 18 and 19, the Camping World Truck Series and XFINITY Series will return to the Windy City to showcase the sport’s next generation of stars as they attempt to join the ranks of NASCAR’s elite. Then on Sunday, September 20, the Sprint Cup Series will begin its playoff season with the first race of the Challenger Round, during which all 16 drivers in the Chase Grid will face off. Special events throughout the weekend will only add to the festivities, including an infield concert by Brett Eldredge prior to the race on September 20.

Chicagoland Speedway

Amid the echoes of squealing tires and humming engines, the grandstands barely have a moment to enjoy any silence. That’s because the Chicagoland Speedway plays host to big ticket racing events such as the NASCAR XFINITY and Sprint Cup Series and the ARCA Racing Series. The grandstands reach up to 15 stories tall—the same height as the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel—giving spectators unencumbered views of its 1.5-mile, D-shaped tri-oval track and any pixelated frogs that try to cross it.